Just Another Day
by Casie01
Summary: Will a trip to the lake turn into a tragedy for Seventeen year old Aaron Hotchner, his younger sister JJ and their friends; Morgan, Emily, and Penelope?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is a diffrent type of story for me. Features most of the team as teenagers. Seventeen year old Aaron Hotchner and his sixteen year old sister Jennifer Joy Hotchner are the children of David Rossi and Sandy Hotchner. Due to Dave's job within the FBI his wife and kids kept her maiden name for safety reasons. Aaron's best friend is Derek Morgan who is dating Emily Prentiss. JJ is best friends with Penelope Garcia and Emily. As of right now no Reid because I wasn't sure how to fit a twelve year old high school student into the story. If you're so inclined please review and let me know what you think good or bad.**

The bright sun beat down against the crisp blue water. Pennsylvania was unseasonably warm for late September, and the students of East Alleghany High were using this warm fall day to enjoy one last trip to the lake

"HOTCH! Hey! Hotchner!" Seventeen year Aaron Hotchner was pulled away from his ministrations with Haley Brooks. "Come on Hotch, this is this is the year you walk the plank!" Derek Morgan stood at the top of Dead Man's Bluff. Every year students dared one another to jump off the cliff, Aaron had so far been lucky enough to get out of the jump.

"Come on Aaron," the dark skinned senior challenged his best friend, a huge grin across his face.

"Why am I even friends with that clown?" Aaron asked his girlfriend, who also had a mischievous grin on her face. The truth was Aaron and Derek were inseparable and had been since football camp their freshman year. Both boys had tried out for the quarterback and had been assigned a room together. The first week of camp they had hated one another, they were too much alike being typical alpha males, they both craved the leadership position, it was when Derek was tried in the Running back position that they realized they worked much better together. Their leadership both on and off the field and positons as Co-Captians had led to the friendship the boys shared. It was rare to see them around campus without the other.

"Come on Aaron, are you going to let that clown show you up?' Haley's blue eyes sparkled as she pushed the seventeen year olds buttons. Aaron was no match for those beautiful blue eyes or that 'innocent' smile, she was one of a small number of people who could get him to do just about anything they wanted.

Looking from his girlfriend to his best friend Aaron finally relented, "Fine," his voice gruff, "But, if I'm doing it so is JJ." Aaron turned to his baby sister, who had been lying next to the lake with her two best friends.

The petite blonde shot up, "What?! No way," She quickly protested, "that's all you buddy." Jennifer Joy Hotchner or JJ, as she was affectionately known, shook her head instantly, there was no way she was jumping off some stupid rock.

Already having a plan of attack Aaron stood walking towards his sister, "Come on Jenny, why won't you jump with me? It's my last chance before I graduate." His voice dripped with feigned sorrow.

"Oh no, nice try Air-Bear." JJ rebutted the use of her least favorite nick name with one of her own. If you're dumb enough to jump off that cliff be my guest, but count me out. Quarterbacks need their arms us soccer stars need our legs."

If Hotch was being honest with himself he didn't want his sister jumping off the cliff, while injuries weren't common they did happen. It was a tradition though that by the time they graduated they would jump, and if his sister was going to jump he was damn well going to be there to protect her.

Fourteen months separated Aaron and JJ, as long as he could remember he had been her protector, nobody messed with his sister. He had fallen in to the role of Protective Brother quickly and easily. Five years earlier their lives had been torn apart and his need to protect her even more pronounced.

Aaron had been twelve years old the night their older sister, Rosaline, had committed suicide while their family slept. He had been woken in the morning by his eleven year old sister's screams. The image of Rosaline laying in the bathtub and her blood on JJ's pajamas is one he would never be able to forget. Aaron had blamed himself, despite everyone's insistence otherwise, for not protecting his older sister. It was too late for the young man to stop Rosaline's pain but he swore he would never let JJ get hurt.

"What did I tell you about calling me Air-bear Jenny! Aaron suddenly rushed forward easily picking the blonde up and throwing her over his shoulder, like a sack of potatoes.

Aaron was easily a hundred pounds heavier than her and was pure muscle, despite her fighting he quickly carried her up to the top of Dead Man's Bluff.

"AARON ROSSI HOTCHER! You put me down right now!" JJ's balled her fisted and punched his back, resorting to his full name hoping he'd relent. Aaron's deep laugh was her only response as he made quick work of the hike up, her so called best friends giggling as they followed the pair.

Her cerulean eyes looked to her best friend in desperation, "Come on Penny you gotta help me!" she plead to her eccentric friend.

"Oh no sweet cheeks, no way am I getting between you and Hotch." Penelope Garcia gave her friend a fake look of sympathy, there was no way anyone was going to get between Hotch and his sister. Penny could understand Hotch's need to be the one to jump with JJ, she did after all have brothers of her own.

A thin sheen of sweat covered the seventeen year olds forehead as he reached the top, their group of friends waiting for them. "Look at this, the Hotchner duo are gonna jump!" Derek smiled gleefully as he put his arm around his girlfriend, "What do you say Em? Wanta jump to?"

Reaching up on the tips of her toes she kissed Derek's cheek, "Nah, we'll let them have the glory, but before you abandoned me for college I'll jump with you." Emily Prentiss promised as Penelope made gagging noises behind them.

At the edge of the cliff Aaron finally sat JJ down on her own feet. The wind blew softly around them causing her to shiver in her light pink bikini. "Come on sis it's not that bad." Aaron encouraged as he put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Jay, you know I would let you do this if it wasn't safe."

"Says the one who isn't afraid of heights." Her bright blue eyes met with his chocolate brown ones, further evidence of which parent each looked like; Aaron was all Rossi while JJ had gotten the Hotcher fair features, Roz had been the perfect mix of Dave and Sandy.

Aaron held his hand out, "Come on it's not that high, we can do it." JJ hesitated just enough for the brother and sister to be interrupted.

"You know Jennifer, if you're scared I'll be happy to jump with you." Shawn Richards had had a crush on JJ since she turned fourteen and puberty had started to reveal the beautiful girl that had been hidden beneath soccer uniforms and flag football games. One summer she had seamlessly changed and was no longer just another one of the boys.

Giving Shawn one of her signature smiles, "Thanks Shawn-ie but I'm ok." JJ like Shawn but his male chauvinistic ways were what prevented her from ever giving him a second look, she could never be the dutiful girlfriend he wanted.

Turning back to her brother she grabbed his outstretched hand, "Alright let's do this before I lose my nerve. And I swear to God if I break anything and can't play soccer, I'm gonna kill you." The look in the sixteen year olds eyes left no room to suggest she was joking.

"Don't worry squirt I'll protect you, I always will." Aaron held her small hand tightly as the brother and sister pair rain off the side of the cliff.

JJ felt the cold water surround her as they landed feet first into one of the deeper parts of the lake. Her body sunk deeper into the abyss. She could feel the strong grip of Aaron's hand, he wasn't going to let her go. As the sinking began to slow she could feel the pull of her arm as Aaron swam toward the surface, her soccer toned legs worked to their advantage as she kicked up towards the sun.

Their heads lifted out of the water, the sound of applaused replacing deafing sound of the water. Their friends cheered loudly, the group rushing down to meet them at the edge of the lake. Aaron and JJ swan towards the shore, the younger wondering how long it would take for her stomach to fall out of her chest.

"HOTCHNER! HOTCHNER! HOTCHNER!" the boys from the football team chanted as the two made their way slowly to the shore. Derek, of course, shouting the loudest. "Atta boy Hotch! About time you made the jump." Morgan slapped Aaron's back as they climbed out of the water. "And I can't believe the Pennsylvania Petite made the jump, you know hot stuff I had my money on you somehow using that smile of yours to get out of it."

Shrugging his muscular arm off her shoulder, "Save the sweet talk for Penelope dork, she's the only person that buys your routine." Before rejoining her friends she turned back to her brother and the boy who was practically her brother, "BY the way, you two suck and I will get my revenge." She turned away from them before they could see the huge grin on her face, the jump, after all, was a lot more fun than she'd let her brother know.

Shawn and another classmate, Mark, carried a large white cooler from the back of one of the pickup trucks. "Time to eat! And in honor of 'The Great Hotchner jump of 1998' we party!" Shawn lifted the cooler pulling out two beers, throwing one at Aaron and the other at JJ.

JJ looked over to Aaron not sure if this was a good idea. The pair had always been the "good" kids around school. Both getting good grades and never getting into trouble. Their father, David Rossi, was an FBI Agent, one of the best if you talked to people around town. It was because of his job that they had been given their mother's maiden name, their father wanted to protect them from the killers he went after. Their father's career coupled with their mother being principle of their school held them to a higher standard than their friends.

Aaron shrugged his shoulders not sure if he wanted to be the "good guy" this once. For once the seventeen year old wanted to be a normal teenager, he didn't want to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. Popping the top of the can he smiled at his sister, letting her know this once it was ok, and lifted the can to his lips taking a gulp of the cheap beer.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Wow I was suprised by amount of feedback I got on the first chapter. Thank you to everyone who favorited and followed this story. And to HeadUpHeatStrong, Lexie4MP, drikadelnero, Jareau37, CMCrazies, KSRPSB, Cribellate, and chen88212 for your reviews. I don't own Criminal Minds or the Characters. **

The mixture of laughter and music filled the late autumn air as the orange and pink sky faded into the twilight of early evening. Bathing suits and shorts had been exchanged for blue jeans and hoodies as the late summer air gave way to the crispness of a fall evening. The night sky littered with the wakening stars all illuminated by the growing bond fire.

Derek's strong arms were filled with a large stack of fire wood, behind him Aaron carried half of what he had made his friend carry. "Now, I knew you were weak Hotchner but I never realized how weak until just now, I mean really is that all you can manage?"

"I'm not the one that dropped that pass against Jefferson in the scrimmage last week, can't have you droppin' passes like that against North Mammon can we?" Hotch smiled at his friend as he dropped a log into the fire, both knew the dropped pass was a miscue on both their parts, one that neither would allow to happen again.

Dropping the rest of the wood near the bon fire Derek took a seat next to his girlfriend putting an arm around Emily's shoulders, "Now, Air-bear, had my quarterback thrown at me rather than trying to impress his lady I may have salvaged your otherwise forgettable game."

Emily could only shake her head at the boys who continued their back and forth banter, if it wasn't for the color of their skin one could actually believe they were brothers. "Are they always this bad?" she turned to her best friend.

JJ smiled, "Worse." She answered simply. Emily had moved to East Allegany at the year before and it had taken months for the small town to embrace someone so different. It was when Derek had gotten the 'Goth-girl' to go on a date with him that Emily had found the best friends she had ever had. "You should see them when no one else is around, you would think they were an item."

Derek and Aaron stopped their argument instantly at her insinuation, knowing full well she was joking but not willing to let her get away with it. "An item uh? I'll so you an item!" Before JJ could react she found small body being lifted off the tree stump she had been sitting on, and was being carried towards the dark cold lake.

"PUT ME DOWN!" JJ yelled as her friends called out various words of contempt and encouragement behind her. "DEREK!"

"No way Jennifer. I think you need a little cooling off, don't you Hotch." Derek continued to the lake despite the girls pleas otherwise.

Laughing Aaron followed closely behind, "I think my little sister needs a lesson on respecting her elders, clearly Mom and Dad didn't instill that lesson."

JJ's eyes rolled, "Please fourteen months isn't an elder. Now put me down, NOW!" JJ punched the back of Derek's sweater, knowing full well she wasn't causing him any discomfort.

Shrugging his shoulders, "If you insist." Derek dropped her on her bottom right at the edge of the lake, not enough to soak her, but enough to make her jeans damp.

"You suck!" JJ's blue eyes flared as she looked up at the two boys. Aarons hand reached down towards her, helping her up. "I know but you love us anyway." Aaron rarely smiled, but when he did it was enough to melt anyone's ill feelings toward him.

"Yeah yeah yeah, you still suck." Sticking her tongue out at her brother and his friend she stomped back towards her friends, grabbing a wine cooler and sitting just a little closer to the fire to warm up.

Grabbing a beer from the coolers both boys rejoined their friends. The group of high schoolers laughed at the many stories that had formed their young lives at East Alleghany High. The night grew darker as they enjoyed the freedom of youth, a freedom that only came with the feeling of invisibility associated with being a teenager.

Once the last beer had been emptied and the embers from the fire died out the teenagers started splitting up, the designated drivers taking away keys, making sure everyone could make the half hour drive back to town.

Aaron loved his Ford pickup truck, a present from his parents for his Sixteenth birthday. Dave had been nervous about the teenager driving so he made sure the then sixteen year old had the newest model with all the newest safety features.

Clutching the keys to his beloved truck Aaron knew he was in no condition to drive, and while he had been irresponsible by drinking there was no way he was going to put other people in danger. "Derek!" Hotch called out to his friend, 'Can you drive?"

Derek's face fell, it wasn't often that Aaron offered to let anyone drive his truck, as much as he wanted to say yes he shook his head sadly. "Damn man, why didn't you ask me an hour ago? I just finished the last 2 cans."

"Shit." Aaron muttered most of the cars had pulled away taking with them his hope of finding someone that could drive. "JJ?" Aaron turned to his giggling sister, hoping her carefree attitude wasn't from the ice chest of wine coolers Emily had brought along.

For reasons he couldn't understand the question caused the three girls to be reduced to another fit of giggles. "I'll take that as a no" The seventeen year old said under his breath as he tried to figure out how he would get home. Haley had driven with a group of friends and was already their designated driver. All of his passengers – Derek, Emily, Penny, and JJ, were too drunk to drive.

Aaron was kicking himself for the moment of teenage weakness. His only option was to call home and ask his parents to come pick them up. All Aaron could think was how disappointed they would be, not just at him but at his sister as well. Resigned to the inevitable he made his way to the truck, where his father had one of those new car phones installed.

"Hotcher! Give me the keys man, I can drive." Shawn called out, getting out of the passenger seat of another car waving as they drove off. "It's been hours since I've had a drink." Shawn assured his friend, more than a little excited at the prospect of not only driving Hotch's trunk, but also the ride home with JJ.

Looking at his friend dubiously Aaron tried to remember if he saw the other boy drinking, coming up blank he pulled the keys from his pant pocket and threw them at Shawn. "You crash my truck Richards and I'll kick your ass." The older boy was only half joking.

Emily, JJ, and Penelope walked towards the truck arm in arm laughing like giddy school girls. "Ladies in the back!" Penelope called out claiming the back seat for her and her friends.

Derek opened the back door of the black truck, "No way ladies, there's no way us three guys are sitting in the front while you three get the back seat. Sorry but JJ you're sitting in the front."

JJ's blue eyes glared at Derek's, "And why am I the one who has to sit up front? You'll fit just fine between my brother and Shawn."

Giggling Penelope pulled JJ closer to her side, "Yeah Sugar, you can't put my girl up front."

"Sorry Momma, I'm separating you three." Derek gently took JJ by the shoulders showing her the small row of seats in the front, the middle seat barely big enough for JJ's small frame. "That's why Miss Jennifer Hotchner, besides I need to sit with my girl," he winked at Emily as Penelope feigned an offended look, "I mean my girls." Derek quickly recovered.

Shaking her head in defeat JJ climbed into the middle seat, squished in between Aaron and a way too gleeful Shawn. The middle seat only had a lap seatbelt, as she brought the two parts together she waited for the familiar clicking of the seat belt. Shoving the buckle harder she realized nothing was working, it wouldn't lock. Aaron reached over joking that she was too drunk to even put on her seat belt, he tried in vain to secure the safety device.

Looking around they realized all their friends had taken off, leaving the six of them with a car with only enough seat belts for five. The last thing Aaron wanted to do was drive around with his sister at risk, "Come on Jay switch seats with me." Aaron unbuckled his own seat belt as she protested, "its fine Aaron we're not that far from home.

The road back to East Alleghany was notorious for its sharp turns and dark streets. Alleghany County was mostly rural with farm land that stretched for miles. Shawn had made the trip from the lake back to town more times than he could remember. He maneuvered the hair pin turns with an ease only a local could take.

The group's jubilation had quickly subsided as the effects of the late hour combined with the copious amounts of alcohol. Emily had her head on Morgan's shoulder, his arm wrapped around her as he watched the darkness fly by them. Penelope's face illuminated by the hand held gaming system she was obsessing over.

JJ laid her head on her brother's shoulder barely able to keep her blue eyes open much longer. "Hey Aaron?" she mumbled tiredly. Aaron lifted head off the window, "Yeah Jen?

"You won't tell Mom and Dad I was drinking will you?" Since Rosaline's suicide JJ had done everything she could to make sure she didn't disappoint her parents, even five years later the sixteen year old still felt responsible for her big sisters death. Being the soccer star and the straight "A" student as a way to atone for the mistakes she was sure she made that day, she was the child every parent would be lucky to have. At sixteen she put too much pressure on her small shoulders, more than any sixteen year old should have.

"No, Jayje, I won't tell Mom and Dad." Aaron promised as his own eyes fluttered shut, he was well aware of the demands she put on herself, he after all held himself to a higher standard than other seventeen year olds.

The sound of metal squishing made his brown eyes fly open. He could feel his body being pulled every which way and he was powerless to stop it. Glass crunched around him and the screams of his friends filled the air. He could feel the bile coming up as his stomach rebelled from the harsh movements of the pickup. As the truck rolled over again he was mercifully engulfed in darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

_The sound of metal squishing made his brown eyes fly open. He could feel his body being pulled every which way and he was powerless to stop it. Glass crunched around him, the screams of his friends filled the air. He could feel the bile coming up as his stomach rebelled from the harsh movements of the pickup. As the truck rolled over again he was mercifully engulfed in darkness._

Sandy Hotchner lay in bed staring at the clock on her dresser. The red 01:30 shone brightly, giving the room an ominous glow. She and David had let the kids spend the day at the lake And they still hadn't come home. They had trusted JJ and Aaron enough that they hadn't given them a curfew, but it wasn't like their kids to be out so late.

Every car that drove by, every set of headlights that illuminated their bedroom, caused the worried mother to hold her breath in anticipation, waiting to hear the familiar sound of Aaron's truck.

Dave shifted in their bed, wrapping his arms around his wife's waist. Dave had met Sandy just a few days after his graduation from the FBI Academy, the pair had been married shortly after; that had been twenty three years ago. Rosaline had been their unplanned joy, they had all but given up on having more children when Aaron came along five years later, followed by their tagalong Jennifer. From the moment Sandy had held Rosaline she had become a fierce Mama bear protecting her babies.

Rosaline's suicide had come as a blow to the young parents, both feeling like they had failed their baby, now with JJ and Aaron they struggled to find a balance between being protective and giving their children freedom. "They'll be home soon, stop worrying." David pulled Sandy closer placing a chaste kiss on her temple.

Sandy closed her blue eyes, a matching pair to her daughters, finding comfort in Dave's arms. She knew he was right, but that didn't help the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach.

The black pickup had almost come out of the last turn before town when Shawn had lost control of the vehicle. In his confidence in his driving he took the familiar turn at a speed too fast for the 35 mph turn. At last glance of the speedometer he couldn't tell if the speedometer was closer to 65 or 70. Hitting the coarse gravel the teenager pulled the wheel trying to get the car back on the road, in his inexperience he had over corrected causing the pickup to lean to one side. The weight of the pickup balancing on two tires was too much and quickly the pickup flipped over. Later the Sate Patrolman would tell them the truck had flipped four times before coming to a stop when it hit the old fence of the Douglas Farm.

Kevin Douglas and his wife Vickie had lived on their farm for forty years and were well accustomed to the quite country nights. The sound of metal crunching had woken them from a deep sleep. Kevin jumped out of the bed, faster than his sixty-five years should have allowed, he got to the window in time to see the truck come to a rest beneath his now broken fence.

"Dear God" he muttered under his breath, knowing this was going to be a bad accident. "Vickie call 911 tell them a truck just crashed." The old man quickly threw on a pair of overalls and his work boots before running out of the room

The wails of sirens stirred Aaron into consciousness. With each siren call he could feel the pounding in his head increase. The slow trickle of the thick liquid moved down the side of his face as he fought to move, not realizing what his body had been through he tried in vain to sit up.

Aaron could feel strange hands on his shoulders holding him down. "Hey now young man I need you to stay still. The ambulance is coming you hear?" An unfamiliar but friendly voice comforted the broken young man. "Can you open your eyes for me?"

'Open my eyes? I thought they were open.' Aaron thought to himself, the night sky had been pitch black as they drove home. Every fiber in his body was screaming out in pain as he willed his eyes to open. The light from the truck cut through the darkness as another wave of pain moved through his head, he couldn't hold the in a moan of pain that escaped his lips.

"Hey there we are. Look at those beautiful brown eyes." Vickie's soft green eyes looked down at the teenager. "The ambulance is almost here son, can you tell me your name?" Vickie's soft hands tried to comfort the boy who was so badly hurt.

Aaron tried to focus on the woman's voice but all he could think about was his sister and their friends. "JJ?" he finally moaned as he tried to look around for his baby sister. She had been sitting next to him, he had felt her hand grab his as the vehicle was ripped apart.

Relieved to hear some sort of coherent thought Vickie let out a sigh of relief. "Ok JJ help is on the way."

Despite the screaming pain in his neck he tried to shake his head no, 'why wasn't she understanding? Why was she wasting her time with him when JJ needed someone more?' He couldn't remember why exactly but something told him his sister was in trouble. "No…no….JJ…JJ…" he pleaded with the woman tears forming in his pain filled eyes.

"Shh it's ok son. I understand. JJ was in the car with you?" She could feel the slow movement of his head as he tried to nod, "My sister…where…" Aaron was becoming increasingly frustrated with the jumbled thoughts in his head.

Vickie had raised three boys of her own, she recognized the bond siblings shared, especially the one older brothers held with their younger siblings. Gently she ran a hand threw his shaggy brown hair, being mindful of the gash over his eye. "Its ok son, help is here. You and your sister are gonna be just fine." The older woman prayed her promise would come true, "Could you tell me your name?" she asked him again.

Aaron could feel the anxiety decrease finding comfort in the strangers soft voice, "Aaron…Aaron Hotchner…please…JJ…JJ…" Aaron could feel the darkness threatening to overtake him.

"Stay with me Aaron, keep those beautiful eyes open for me." Vickie could feel her emotions taking over. She had never been more grateful than the moment the first paramedic ran over to them.

Releasing the teenager to the very capable paramedic Vickie took in the devastation around her. The once pristine pickup was crushed, she could see the intertwined bodies her husband was talking to in the backseat. The field around their fence was littered with car parts, but it was the single tennis shoe that made a sob escape her lips. She didn't care about the damage to their property, or the fence they would undoubtedly have to replace, all she cared about were the teenagers who lives hung in the balance.


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm blown away by the response to this story honestly I wasnt sure how this would be recieved. I just wanted to thank those who reviewed the last two chapters; **CMLeoLover, Lexie4MP, cheetobreathJareau, CelticFire32, CMCrazies, Jareau37, Spanish Guest, battlecry7473, ElissaMndz, JJ, 2 Guest reviewers. **There were a reviews for the last chapter about the cliffhangers and even one jest that I was mean :-) I wish I could tell you the cliffhangers were over, but well I can't lie I like to leave you on the edge of your seats so sorry the cliffhangers aren't over just yet. Thank you again for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following this.**

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><p>"Officer Brennan? What do we have?" Sargent Rivers walked over to one of the units that wasn't busy.<p>

Officer Michael Brennan walked away from the older couple towards his Sargent. "Looks like they lost control on the turn, skid marks indicate they overcorrected causing the truck to flip." The rookie cop pointed to the roadside where everything had started. "Mr. and Mrs. Douglas heard the crash and called 911."

Sargent Rivers surveyed the damage, not just to the vehicle but to the surrounding property, he was inclined to agree with the officer's summation. 'Is this one the driver?" He nodded towards the teenager surrounded by EMT's.

Michael nodded his head, "We believe so. We've got him and three still in the vehicle, they're all in the back of the truck." Sargent Rivers gave him a strange look, it was odd for there to be a driver in the front seat and three in the back. "Alcohol involved?"

Michael nodded his head again, "EMT's could smell it on the who we believe is the driver, and the truck smells of it." Officer Brennan would never get used to accidents where alcohol was involved, especially in kids so young. Teenagers thought they were invincible, that nothing could happen to them, this was a harsh was to learn otherwise.

Shaking his head in disappointment Brain walked over to the older couple, "Kevin, Vickie? How you holding up?" Sure they hadn't been hurt but coming out to such devastation couldn't be easy.

Kevin held his hand out to shake the Sargent's hand, "We're alright Brian, just worried about these kids."

"Did ya' all see anything?" Brian asked needing to get all the information for the investigation as possible.

"No," Vickie shook her head, "The sound woke us up. Kevin told me to call 911. I came outside and found Aaron lying over there. He was in and out of it barely gave his name." The concern Vickie felt for the teenagers was the same she would feel for her own sons.

Brian's gaze went from the truck to the still form, "Aaron?" his mind putting the pieces together, he had thought that truck looked familiar. "Is that David Rossi's son?" Not waiting for an answer he jogged over to where the EMT's were securing Aaron to a backboard for transport.

"Aaron? Aaron its Brian, can you hear me son?" Brian had been friends with the Rossi-Hotchner family since they moved to East Alleghany, their families were close and Aaron was like a son.

A familiar voice was cutting through the peace that darkness had brought the seventeen year old. With consciousness brought the unrelenting pain, he could feel every break and every cut that his body had suffered. "Sargent please, we need to get him to the hospital." Unfamiliar voices came into focus, strange hands touching him.

Slowly Aaron became aware of his surroundings, the brace around his neck prohibited him from finding the source of the voice. The mask over his nose and mouth making his breathing easier, his back felt rigid against the hard plastic back board he was strapped down on. Opening his eyes he was met with the familiar brown eyes of his father's longtime friend, he felt the man's hand grab his own, the sound of his voice muffled by the constant pain in his head.

Whatever the man was saying didn't matter, he was alive he would be fine, but he didn't know what was happening with his sister, "JJ…JJ…" Aaron managed to croak out just loud enough for Brian to understand.

"JJ?" Brian realized the ramifications of what Aaron was saying. "Bennan!" Brian shouted to the officer, "Is Jennifer Hotchner in the back of that truck?" Panic threatened to overtake him as he prayed the young girl was still in the truck.

Officer Brennan had been standing by as the fireman had gotten the back door of the truck off, carefully they had been able to get an unconscious Derek Morgan out of the truck. Brennan knew who the boy was, everyone in town knew Derek Morgan and not just because of his skills on the football field, his father had been an officer in town before being killed years ago. Carefully Brennan moved around the fireman lowering himself into the truck. Two young women were left in the truck, he was met by brown eyes that looked up at him in fear.

"It's ok, we're gonna get you out of here," Brennan promised the raven haired girl, not recognizing either girl. "Can you tell me your name sweet heart?"

Emily had felt every flip of the truck, had felt as it was ripped to pieces, she hadn't been lucky enough to be swept up by the darkness that had taken her friends. She had seen and felt everything and had been powerless to stop it or to help her friends. "Emily…Emily Prentiss."

Officer Brennan took her hand in his, trying to offer her some comfort. "Hi Emily, I'm Michael. Can you tell me who your friend is?" The officer looked over to the blonde next to them.

Emily couldn't turn her head to the side, she tried to remember who was sitting next to her, whose hand she still clung to, afraid to let go of. "Penny…Penelope…." Michael's smile offered some sort of hope that everything was ok.

"Good, you're doing so good Emily. We're going to have you and Penelope out of here soon. Can you tell me who else was in the truck?" Michael pushed her just a little more. A hand rested on the officers shoulder as the fireman asked him to move so they could get the girls out, before he could back out Emily squeezed his hand, "Aaron, JJ, and Shawn they're ok right?"

Squeezing her hand in return, "We're going to help you and your friends Emily. I'm gonna move out of here so these fireman can get you out but, I promise I'm gonna stay right outside the truck until your out of here ok?" Emily slowly nodded her head watching as he backed out of the truck letting the fireman take over.

Officer Brennan backed out of the truck looking over to his Sargent slowly shaking his head letting Sargent Rivers know their worst fear had come true, JJ wasn't in that car nor was another boy.

Sargent Rivers jumped up and started barking out orders. In their haste to help the victims they had failed to check the area for anyone else. His gruff voice barked orders at his units to start a search from where the truck stopped up to the turn where they had first crashed. He grabbed his radio calling for a helicopter to fly over and search the area.

Officer Jenna Barry and her partner Travis Kennedy held their flash lights in front of them, scanning the area not wanting to miss anything. Debris from the crash was littered across the lawn, the force of the impact had left marks in the pristine grass were the vehicle had rolled. Jenna had estimated the truck had rolled two hundred feet off the roadway. The turn had a recommended speed of fifteen mph and given the extent of the damage they had been going at least seventy. Shaking her head all she could think was that these kids were lucky to be alive.

"Anything yet?" A voice came over the radio. Jenna looked over to her partner who shook his head sadly. "Nothing yet Sarge, we've got a lot of debris out here. Definitely speed and alcohol related."

"10-4 Helio is enroute to assist, medics advised we may have to lifeflight." The Sargent relayed the information to his units.

"Jenna! I've got something!" Travis called out as he kneeled down next to the form laying in the grass recognizing the seventeen year old Shawn Richards. Travis reached a hand out looking for a pulse. "Jen we need medics!"

Jenna grabbed her radio, "I need medics, we're about fifty feet from the roadway at the curve. We've got a seventeen year old male, it's bad." It didn't take long to hear the sound of medics running towards them. Leaving Shawn with her partner Jenna looked for the girl they had been told was also in the vehicle.

She abandoned the forward search they had started and began moving diagonally from where they had found Shawn it wasn't long before her flashlight illuminated against the blonde hair.

Jenna ran over to the girl who had been partially blocked by pushes simultaneously calling for helping and putting fingers against her cold neck praying for a pulse.


End file.
